Man sentenced for kicking police officer during dirt bike incident

A 20-year-old man who kicked a Waterford police officer in the chest last summer while riding on the back of a fleeing dirt bike pleaded guilty and was sentenced this morning in New London Superior Court.

Yojang Torres, who served 5½ months in prison while his case was pending, was sentenced to 364 days in prison, fully suspended, followed by two years of probation for third-degree assault.

According to prosecutor David J. Smith, police went to the Devonshire Drive area around 1:30 a.m. on Aug. 19, 2013, after residents reported that people were running through their back yards and attempting to break into their sheds.

Officers spotted men riding on dirt bikes and chased them into the woods. Torres, a passenger on one of the bikes, kicked an officer in the chest, causing her to fall backwards, when she attempted to stop the bike. The officer was not seriously injured but did seek treatment, according to Smith.

Torres, who is not a citizen of the United States, risks deportation to the Dominican Republic as a result of his conviction. His attorney, Randall A. Ortega, said Torres is enrolled in education and employment programs in New London that will welcome him back. Several of his relatives were in court for the proceeding.

Judge Hillary B. Strackbein ordered Torres to write a letter of apology to the police officer while on probation and told him he needs to make better choices.

Commenting is closed. Comment threads are monitored for 48 hours after publication and then closed.